Oct. 16 – A couple and their dog were saved by a neighbor when a fire broke out in their Unity home Tuesday evening.
According to Tom Schultheis, the city’s emergency management coordinator, the couple was awakened by a smoke detector as they slept on the first floor of their Dos Drive home.
Blocked by fire through the back or side doors, they made their way to the front porch, which has no steps.
A neighbor helped break the railing surrounding the porch so they could escape the building, he said.
“There are no steps from the front porch,” he said. “It’s just like a balcony.”
Firefighters from the Village of Marguerite and multiple other businesses, including Greensburg and Latrobe, were called to the scene shortly after 9:15 p.m. and remained there until midnight.
Schultheis said it likely started in the rear of the first floor of the house, where flames caused extensive damage. There was also heat, smoke and water damage on the second floor.
Schultheis said the Red Cross will contact the displaced couple to help.
No one was injured, according to Marguerite Fire Chief Scott Graham. He said the state police fire marshal would help investigate the cause of the fire.
Jeff Himler is a TribLive reporter covering the Greater Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mt. school districts. Pleasant Area and Derry Area and their communities. It also informs about transport-related problems. As a journalist for over thirty years, he likes delving into local history. He can be reached at [email protected].